The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Odisha alleged that as many as eight police officials in the Bhubaneswar Parliamentary constituency have remained in the same place of posting for over 10 years and have not been transferred, which is a gross violation of the Election Commission of India (ECI) guidelines.
Voicing the issue, a delegation of the BJP met the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Odisha.
The party also alleged that Bhubaneswar is not the only example, several other officials have been working for years in other districts of the state, and as a result, elections are influenced by their long service in one place.
The party has demanded the immediate transfer of these officials ahead of the elections. The BJP said that it will prepare a list of such officials and submit it to the Chief Electoral Officer.
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Speaking to the media, BJP leader Lekhashree Samantasinghar said, "There are many officers who have overstayed at their place of postings. Many of them have not been transferred for five, 10, and even 12 years since their postings. Their long service in one place is against the guidelines meant for free and fair elections.”
However, no reaction was received from the state government authorities.